BARLEY WAS SEEN AS A DIVINE GIFT, AND BY 3000 B.C. THE SUMARIANS OF MESOPOTAMIA WERE SO DEVOTED TO THE CRAFT OF BREWING THAT THEY EVEN HAD A PATRON GODDESS TO RULE OVER THE ART OF BREWING. "NINKASI" WAS THE SUMARIAN GODDESS OF ALCOHOL, ALSO KNOWN AS THE MATRON GODDESS OF BEER. SHE WAS ALSO KNOWN AS THE "LADY OF THE INEBRIATING FRUIT." SHE WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN BORN OF "SPARKING FRESH WATER." HER DUTIES AS GODDESS OF ALCOHOL INCLUDED SATISFYING DESIRE, AND CALMING THE HEART. "NINKASI "WAS THE DAUGHTER OF "NINTI", THE QUEEN OF "ABZU", AND "ENKI, "THE LORD OF "NUDIMMUD". SHE LIVED ON A MYTHICAL MOUNTAIN, "SABU", AND FROM THERE SHE DISTRIBUTED HER GIFTS TO HUMANITY.

A HYMN TO NINKASI WAS INSCRIBED ON CLAY TABLETS IN THE 18TH CENTURY B.C. THE HYMN PRAISES THE GODDESS AND DESCRIBES ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT SHE DOES. ACTUALLY, THE ENTIRE HYMN IS AN ANCIENT RECIPE FOR BREWING BEER WHICH HAS BEEN RENDERED AS A POEM OR A SONG.

"HYMN TO NINKASI"
"BORNE OF THE FLOWING WATER, "
"TENDERLY CARED FOR BY THE NINHURSAG, "
"BORNE OF THE FLOWING WATER, "
"TENDERLY CARED FOR BY THE NINHURSAG, "
"HAVING FOUNDED YOUR TOWN BY THE SACRED LAKE, "
"SHE FINISHED ITS GREAT WALLS FOR YOU, "
"NINKASI, HAVING FOUNDED YOUR TOWN BY THE SACRED LAKE, "
"SHE FINISHED IT'S WALLS FOR YOU, "
"YOUR FATHER IS ENKI, LORD NIDIMMUD, "
"YOUR MOTHER IS NINTI, THE QUEEN OF THE SACRED LAKE. "
"NINKASI, YOUR FATHER IS ENKI, LORD NIDIMMUD, "
"YOUR MOTHER IS NINTI, THE QUEEN OF THE SACRED LAKE. "
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HANDLES THE DOUGH [AND] WITH A BIG SHOVEL, "
"MIXING IN A PIT, THE BAPPIR WITH SWEET AROMATICS, "
"NINKASI, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HANDLES THE DOUGH [AND] WITH A BIG SHOVEL, "
"MIXING IN A PIT, THE BAPPIR WITH [DATE] - HONEY, "
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BAKES THE BAPPIR IN THE BIG OVEN, "
"PUTS IN ORDER THE PILES OF HULLED GRAINS, "
"NINKASI, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO BAKES THE BAPPIR IN THE BIG OVEN, "
"PUTS IN ORDER THE PILES OF HULLED GRAINS, "
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WATERS THE MALT SET ON THE GROUND, "
"THE NOBLE DOGS KEEP AWAY EVEN THE POTENTATES, "
"NINKASI, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WATERS THE MALT SET ON THE GROUND, "
"THE NOBLE DOGS KEEP AWAY EVEN THE POTENTATES, "
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SOAKS THE MALT IN A JAR, "
"THE WAVES RISE, THE WAVES FALL. "
"NINKASI, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SOAKS THE MALT IN A JAR, "
"THE WAVES RISE, THE WAVES FALL. "
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SPREADS THE COOKED MASH ON LARGE REED MATS, "
"COOLNESS OVERCOMES, "
"NINKASI, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SPREADS THE COOKED MASH ON LARGE REED MATS, "
"COOLNESS OVERCOMES, "
"YOU ARE THE ONE WHO HOLDS WITH BOTH HANDS THE GREAT SWEET WORT, "
"BREWING [IT] WITH HONEY [AND] WINE "
"(YOU THE SWEET WORT TO THE VESSEL) "
"NINKASI, (...)(YOU THE SWEET WORT TO THE VESSEL) "
"THE FILTERING VAT, WHICH MAKES A PLEASANT SOUND, "
"YOU PLACE APPROPRIATELY ON A LARGE COLLECTOR VAT. "
"NINKASI, THE FILTERING VAT, WHICH MAKES A PLEASANT SOUND, "
"YOU PLACE APPROPRIATELY ON A LARGE COLLECTOR VAT. "
"WHEN YOU POUR OUT THE FILTERED BEER OF THE COLLECTOR VAT, "
"IT IS [LIKE] THE ONRUSH OF TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES. "
"NINKASI, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO POURS OUT THE FILTERED BEER OF THE COLLECTOR VAT, "
"IT IS [LIKE] THE ONRUSH OF TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES. "